ultimatepopculturefandomcom-20200216-history
Roseanne
| theme_music_composer = | opentheme = | endtheme = | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = 10 | num_episodes = 231 | list_episodes = List of Roseanne episodes | executive_producer = | producer = | camera = | runtime = 21–22 minutes | company = * Wind Dancer Productions (1988–1989) (season 1) * Full Moon and High Tide Productions (1994–1997) (seasons 7–9) * Mohawk Productions (2018) (season 10) * The Carsey-Werner Company * Jax Media (2018) (season 10) | distributor = Viacom Enterprises (1992-1994) Carsey-Werner Distribution | network = ABC | picture_format = | audio_format = Stereo | first_aired = Original Series: | last_aired = Revival Series: – | followed_by = The Conners | production_website = }} Roseanne is an American television sitcom starring Roseanne Barr. It revolves around the fictional Conner family. It aired on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and again from March 27, 2018 to May 22, 2018. Lauded for its realistic portrayal of a working-class American family, the series reached No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings from 1989 to 1990. The series remained in the top four for six of its nine seasons, and in the top 20 for eight. In 1993, the episode "A Stash from the Past" was ranked No. 21 on ''TV Guide'' s 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time. In 2002, Roseanne was ranked No. 35 on ''TV Guide'' s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. In 2013, it was ranked No. 32 on TV Guide s 60 Best Series of All Time.TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time, tvguide.com; accessed January 15, 2018. On May 16, 2017, ABC announced it had greenlit a revived, 10th season of Roseanne as a mid-season replacement in 2018, with the original cast returning. In November 2017, ABC requested an additional episode, bringing the total to nine. It premiered on March 27, 2018, to an initial audience of 18.44 million, which grew to 27.26 million total viewers following 7 days of delayed viewing. On March 30, 2018, following the success of its premiere, Roseanne was renewed for an eleventh season of thirteen episodes. ABC reversed its renewal decision and canceled Roseanne on May 29, 2018 after Barr likened former Obama administration official Valerie Jarrett to Planet of the Apes, in a comment considered racist on Twitter which was described by the network's president as being "abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values." On June 21, 2018, ABC announced plans to re-tool the show as a spin-off involving the Conner family without Roseanne Barr. The show has a working title The Conners. Production history In coming up with ideas for new shows, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner of Carsey-Werner Productions decided to look into the concept of the working mother as a central voice. Up until that point, there had been countless shows with working mothers, but few treated them as anything other than an adjunct to the father in the family. Werner had suggested that they take a chance on Barr whom they had seen on The Tonight Show. This was because he saw the unique "in your face" voice that they were looking for and he contacted her agent and offered her the role. Barr's act at the time was the persona of the "domestic goddess", but as Carsey and Werner explains, she had the distinctive voice and attitude for the character and she was able to transform herself into the working class heroine they envisioned. Many early scripts were written by women: Grace McKeaney, Lauren Eve Anderson, and Laurie Gelman, and directed by Ellen Gittelsohn. Premise The series is centered on the Conners, an American working-class family struggling to get by on a limited household income in their home at 714 Delaware Street in the drab fictional mid-state exurb of Lanford, Illinois. Although initially nominally located in Fulton County, several hours away from Chicago, later on-air references over the years suggested the town is in the vicinity of Aurora, Elgin, and DeKalb, all of which are much closer to Chicago. In a 2018 interview, Barr stated that the series setting was based on Elgin.Rose, Lacey (February 21, 2018). Roseanne Returns: Is TV Ready for a Trump-Loving Comic With "Nothing Left to Prove"? The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 22, 2018. “The town that ours is based on — Elgin, Illinois — is changing. It was majority white, now it's majority Hispanic. We went and interviewed people there.”) The family consisted of outspoken Roseanne, married to husband Dan, and their three children: Becky, Darlene, and DJ. Later in the series, Roseanne becomes pregnant again and gives birth to a boy named Jerry Garcia Conner. Many critics considered the show notable as one of the first sitcoms to realistically portray a blue-collar American family with two parents working outside the home, as well as lead characters who were noticeably overweight without their weight being the target of jokes. Establishing shots were photographed in Evansville, Indiana, the hometown of first-season producer Matt Williams. Exterior shots of the Conner household were based on a real home located in Evansville, located at 619 S. Runnymeade Avenue, a few blocks from Williams' alma mater, the University of Evansville. Barr's real-life brother and sister are gay, which inspired her to push for introducing gay characters and issues into the show. "My show seeks to portray various slices of real life, and homosexuals are a reality," said Barr. Provocative storylines have been an integral part of the series throughout its existence; Barr has stated that they were issues that working-class Americans experience in their everyday lives and that very few scripted programs ever address them. Cast and characters Episodes Original series Season 1 Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) is a line worker at Wellman Plastics, along with her sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) and friend Crystal (Natalie West). Jackie has a brief relationship with Booker (George Clooney), the foreman at Wellman. Dan (John Goodman) finds sporadic work as a construction contractor and faces a strained relationship with his irresponsible and womanizing father (Ned Beatty). Roseanne's parents, Beverly (Estelle Parsons) and Al (John Randolph), consider moving to Lanford, but eventually decide against it. Tomboy Darlene (Sara Gilbert) struggles with her femininity as she enters puberty and gets her first period. Becky (Lecy Goranson) faces dating problems with her first boyfriend Chip (Jared Rushton), who is introduced in the "Lover's Lane" episode. Season one also finds the Conners experiencing, and surviving, a tornado. In the "Death and Stuff" episode a door-to-door salesman dies in the Conners' kitchen, and in the season finale, Roseanne stands up to a new foreman (Fred Thompson), when she leads Jackie, Crystal, and other coworkers as they quit Wellman Plastics. DJ is played by Sal Barone in the pilot episode and by Michael Fishman for the remainder of the series. There is a running gag in this season where they use the word "corn" in every episode. Other notable guest stars during the season include Bill Sadler as Dwight, Dan's friend, Robert Harper as Chip's father, Andrea Walters as Chip's mother, and Tony Crane as "The Tongue Bandit", Becky's other boyfriend. Bill Pentland, Roseanne Barr's first husband, made a cameo as one of Dan's friends in the "Saturday" episode. Season 2 Now that they've quit Wellman Plastics, Roseanne and Jackie must find new jobs. Jackie decides to become a police officer. Roseanne cycles through a variety of menial jobs including telemarketer, secretary for Dan's boss, bartender, cashier at a fast-food restaurant, and, finally, sweeping floors at a beauty parlor. At home, Dan's poker buddy Arnie (Tom Arnold) makes a startling debut when he plants a passionate kiss on Roseanne. The Conners celebrate an outrageous Halloween that becomes an annual feature of the series. Roseanne wants 10 minutes to herself in the bathroom; this turns into a bizarre dream sequence which has the entire cast singing parodies of songs from musical comedies. Later, at Thanksgiving dinner, Dan takes wary notice of a growing romance between his father and Crystal. Jackie gets serious with new boyfriend Gary (Brian Kerwin). Becky repeatedly rebels against Roseanne and Dan's parental authority such as staying out late and breaking into the liquor cabinet with her friend Dana and getting drunk when Dan and Roseanne are out of town for the day. The reappearance of old biker buddy Ziggy (Jay O. Sanders) reminds Roseanne and Dan of their own rebellious past. Darlene first proves her talent for writing when she wins recognition for her poetry. Roseanne's own writing talents are given a boost when her family fixes up a basement room to serve as a writer's den. This is the first season where we hear Roseanne thinking out loud. Other notable guest stars during the season include Stephen Dorff as Becky's boyfriend Jimmy, Jenny Lewis as Becky's friend Diane, Stephen Root as Roseanne's lawyer Peter, and Bert Parks as a judge. Ann Wedgeworth played Dan Conner's mother in the Thanksgiving episode. Season 3 The season opens with the Conner women confronting the issue of pregnancy: Roseanne takes a pregnancy test that turns up negative. Roseanne takes on a job as waitress in the restaurant at Rodbell's Department Store, where she meets Leon (Martin Mull) and Bonnie (Bonnie Sheridan). Jackie gets injured on the job, which results in her breaking up with her boyfriend Gary. Becky begins dating Mark Healy (Glenn Quinn); when her parents forbid her to see him, she temporarily moves in with Jackie. Dan is floored to learn his father Ed and Crystal plan to marry; Crystal is pregnant with Ed's baby. Roseanne locks horns with snooty new neighbor Kathy (Meagen Fay). Nana Mary (Shelley Winters) makes her first appearance at a family barbecue. In the season finale, Ziggy reappears, proposing to open a motorcycle repair shop with Dan and Roseanne. While they are in the process of getting the business off the ground, Ziggy decides to leave because he doesn't want to feel responsible if the business fails. However, he leaves enough money for Dan to open it by himself. We never hear about him again. Other notable guest stars during the season include Dann Florek as Principal Hiller, Leonardo DiCaprio as Darlene's classmate, Brad Garrett as Doug, Judy Gold as Amy, Alyson Hannigan as Becky's friend Jan, and Tobey Maguire as Jeff. Season 4 The opening credits of Season 4 change from Season 3 in that the show now stars "Roseanne Arnold" instead of "Roseanne Barr". The season starts with Becky surprising Roseanne by asking for birth-control pills. Dan and Roseanne begin their new motorcycle repair shop business, Lanford Custom Cycle, while Roseanne continues to work at Rodbell's Department Store. Darlene meets David Healy (Johnny Galecki), brother of Mark (in his first appearance, the character was known as Kevin). After a brief stint working at a perfume counter, Jackie decides to become a truck driver. Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) is introduced as Arnie's fiancee. After a night of heavy drinking, Jackie discovers she slept with the newly engaged Arnie. Darlene undergoes a personality shift into a sullen goth teen. Booker makes a surprise appearance at a Halloween party. Roseanne's neighbor Kathy moves back to Chicago. Roseanne gets breast reduction surgery. Crystal gives birth to Dan's new half-brother, "Little Ed". Roseanne and Dan accompany Arnie and Nancy to their wedding in Las Vegas. At the end of the season, Lanford Custom Cycle fails, and Rodbell's Luncheonette closes. Nancy is left alone after Arnie is "abducted by aliens". Notable guest stars during the season include Bob Hope as himself, Jena Malone as little girl on Santa's lap, Wayne Newton as himself, David Crosby as Duke, Bonnie Sheridan as Roseanne's coworker Bonnie, Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Doogie Howser, and Rick Dees as Ken. Season 5 After the bike shop closes, Mark decides to move to Minnesota. Becky decides to go with him, and they elope. Jackie and Roseanne each get a check for $10,000 from their mother after she and their father divorce. They, along with Nancy, decide to open a diner but can only get the money they need after Bev agrees to become a partner as well. Nancy comes out as a lesbian. The Tildens, a single father and his two daughters around Becky and Darlene's ages (Wings Hauser, Mara Hobel, Danielle Harris), move in next door. Jackie dates Fisher (Matt Roth), a much younger man. When Roseanne discovers he is physically abusive, Dan confronts him and beats him up (never shown onscreen), and is arrested. Roseanne and Jackie's father dies, and Roseanne confronts his longtime secret mistress only to find her father blamed his daughters for his abuse towards them. Roseanne's rich, estranged cousin Ronnie (Joan Collins) visits and persuades Darlene to get her GED and apply to art school. David applies as well. Darlene asks her parents if David can move in, because his mother is moving away and they want to stay together. Roseanne and Dan initially refuse, but when Roseanne sees David's mother being verbally and emotionally abusive, she decides to let him stay because it reminded her of her own troubled childhood with her equally abusive father. Roger (Tim Curry) offers Dan a deal to renovate and sell a small fixer-upper house, then runs off before the deal is complete; Jackie decides to buy the house, saving Dan from financial ruin. David gets a rejection letter from art school, while Darlene gets an acceptance. At the end of the season, Roseanne fears Darlene will run away to school, although Darlene has already decided not to go. Realizing she was wrong, Roseanne persuades Darlene to not give up on her goals just to stay with David. During this season, there is a running gag in which each of the Conners (save Becky) appears in a different scene in the same long-sleeved, egg-printed shirt with a large chicken on the front. Notable guest stars during the season include Wings Hauser as Ty Tilden, Danielle Harris as Molly Tilden, Mara Hobel as Charlotte Tilden, Loretta Lynn as herself, Morgan Fairchild as Nancy's girlfriend Marla, Bill Maher as Bob, Ed Begley, Jr. as Principal Alexander, Blake Clark as Vic, Red Buttons as Bev's lover Jake, Sally Kirkland as Mark and David's mother Barbara, Tim Curry as Nancy's lover Roger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as DJ's annoying wannabe friend George, Joan Collins as Roseanne and Jackie's cousin Ronnie, Matt Roth as Jackie's boyfriend Fisher, Steve Jones as a threatening diner patron, and in a very brief cameo, Chris Farley as a customer trying on a too-small leather jacket. Season 6 Under pressure from Roseanne to leave the Lanford Lunch Box, Bev sells her share in the restaurant to Leon to get back at them. David proposes marriage to Darlene, but she refuses. Dan and Roseanne discover an old stash of marijuana and smoke it in their bathroom. Roseanne's past as an abuse victim arises when she reacts violently to DJ after he joyrides and wrecks her car, leading her to worry she may be continuing the cycle. Becky (now played by Sarah Chalke) and Mark return home and move into the Conners' house. Mark goes to trade school but drops out. Jackie gets pregnant as a result of a one-night stand and later develops a relationship with the baby's father, Fred (Michael O'Keefe). Roseanne and Dan discover David secretly moved in with Darlene at school and throw him out, but take him back soon after. Roseanne visits a gay bar with Nancy, where she receives a surprise kiss from Nancy's girlfriend. Jackie gives birth to a son, Andy. Dan confronts his mother's history of mental illness. The season concludes with Fred and Jackie's wedding. Notable guest stars during the season include Michael O'Keefe as Fred, the father of Jackie's baby; Sandra Bernhard as Nancy, Roseanne and Jackie's co-worker; Mariel Hemingway as Sharon, Nancy's girlfriend; Vicki Lawrence as Phyllis, Dan's old flame; Florence Henderson as Flo, a woman with whom Roseanne networks at a women's business club meeting; Genie Francis and Anthony Geary as General Hospital's Luke and Laura Spencer; Ahmet Zappa as Roy, Mark's handsome laconic roommate; and Fabio as himself. Season 7 The opening credits of Season 7 change from previous seasons in that the show now stars "Roseanne" instead of "Roseanne Arnold". On the September 21, 1994 Season 7 premiere; In celebrating Roseanne's divorce and dropping her last name... All credits (Opening and closing) included the cast and crew's first names only. This was the only time this occurred in an episode during its run. Season seven begins with Roseanne's pregnancy and goes on to tackle such issues as abortion, alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual dysfunction, and racial prejudice. Darlene and David break up after briefly maintaining an open relationship, leading to some awkwardness for Roseanne and Dan as they try to deal living with their daughter's ex-boyfriend. David and Darlene both date other people, but eventually, they reunite. Due to tension in the household, Mark and Becky move into a trailer. DJ plays a bigger role this season, most notably in an episode wherein he refuses to kiss a black girl in his school play. Episode 19 is a special 45-minute show that recounts all the previous seasons with Roseanne being "welcomed" by other sitcom moms. Notable guest stars during the season include Sharon Stone as a trailer-park resident, Ellen DeGeneres as Jackie and Fred's psychologist, Danny Masterson as Darlene's boyfriend Jimmy, and Traci Lords as Lanford Lunch Box busperson Stacy. In the season finale, a tribute is made to Sherwood Schwartz. Uncredited appearances at the end of the episode have Gilligan's Island cast members playing Roseanne characters. These include Dawn Wells, Bob Denver, Tina Louise, and Russell Johnson, as well as Sherwood Schwartz. Also, Isabel Sanford, Alley Mills, Barbara Billingsley, June Lockhart, and Pat Crowley appear as themselves in another episode. Season 8 Season eight addresses Roseanne's baby shower and the subsequent arrival of her son, Jerry Garcia Conner. (In a continuity error, the baby had been revealed to be a girl in season seven. Roseanne, in an after-credits out of character scene, explains that after she fell pregnant she wished the Conners' baby to be the same gender as hers). The season starts when Dan decides to leave the security of his city job to help build the new prison being constructed outside of Lanford. With the pension, final check, and retirement money he receives for leaving his job he decides to give his family the vacation they never had and takes everyone, including Mark, David, and Roseanne's mother, along to Walt Disney World. It is later revealed that one of the nights the clan was at Disney was also the night Darlene got pregnant. Darlene quickly decides she and David want to have the baby and the two get engaged. The season climaxes with a very rushed wedding for Darlene. Immediately after the ceremony, realizing how much has been changing, Dan suffers a heart attack. In the next episode, it is revealed that he survives, as DJ saved his life. The season concludes with Dan and Roseanne having a bitter fight after Dan refuses to stick to his diet and exercise plan, rehashing many of the buried personality clashes of the entire series. They end up wrecking their living room in the process. The credits fade as Roseanne walks out on Dan. Other subjects are DJ's Thanksgiving pageant, Darlene's wedding, and Dan's heart attack. Notable guest stars during the season include Fred Willard as Leon's husband Scott, Ed McMahon as himself, John Popper (with Blues Traveler) as an old friend of Dan's, Pat Harrington Jr. as himself, Jenna Elfman as hitchhiker Garland, Shecky Greene as Bar Mitzvah guest Uncle Saul, Norm Crosby as Reverend Crosley, June Lockhart as Leon's mother, the cast of Stomp as Lanford Lunch Box patrons, Eric Dane as a Disney World bellhop, and Tony Curtis as ballroom-dance instructor Hal. Season 9 The opening titles of Season 9 still say the show stars "Roseanne", but the first episode credits her as "Roseanne Barr Pentland Arnold Thomas". The ninth season features many changes. In previous seasons, the original theme song was played on saxophone, accompanied by drums and other instruments. For this final season, the theme was re-recorded and performed by Blues Traveler with a distorted harmonica—one of the band's staples—playing in place of the saxophone. Lyrics were also added and sung into the theme by the band's lead vocalist, John Popper. Episodes in this season exhibit a much more surreal style. Additionally, the 'daily struggle' theme of previous episodes is abandoned, and the season focuses primarily on bringing the characters full circle emotionally. The Conners win the state lottery jackpot of $108 million; Dan ponders the meaning of life, Jackie meets her prince, DJ finds love, and Darlene, after some trouble, gives birth. John Goodman is absent for most of the season, as he was busy filming The Big Lebowski; in later episodes, Goodman resembles his "Lebowski" character Walter Sobchak. In the season's final episode, Roseanne reveals the entire series itself is actually a story written by Roseanne Conner about her life. To cope, Roseanne twisted major elements of her life for the story, which the audience does not discover until the final moments of the season. In reality, Dan's heart attack near the end of Season 8 was fatal and the Conner family did not win the lottery. A story arc running through the final season, that Dan betrayed Roseanne by having an affair, is revealed to be false. We learn that Dan's betrayal wasn't having an affair, but dying. Tough Roseanne, who could always take the worst life could throw at her with a laugh, could not handle Dan's death. Also, Jackie is a lesbian and Beverly is straight. Scott is a probate lawyer whom Roseanne befriended, and set up with Leon—who she claims isn't very hip the way she had written him to be; this seems a tad tongue in cheek. Becky is dating David and Darlene is with Mark. Guest stars during the season include Edward Asner as Lou Grant, Heather Matarazzo as D.J.’s girlfriend, Dann Florek as Doctor Rudmen, Jim Varney as Jackie's boyfriend Prince Carlos, Tammy Faye Bakker as Roseanne's makeup consultant, Dina Merrill as Doris, Joanna Lumley as Patsy Stone and Jennifer Saunders as Edina Monsoon (reprising their roles from Absolutely Fabulous), Arianna Huffington as Estree, Marlo Thomas as Tina, James Brolin as Roseanne's business partner/love interest Edgar Wellman, Jr., and Ann Wedgeworth and Debbie Reynolds as Dan's mother Audrey, as well as Hugh Hefner, Milton Berle, Robin Leach, Todd Oldham, Moon Unit and Ahmet Zappa, Tony Robbins, Kathleen Sullivan, Steven Seagal, and Jerry Springer as themselves. Revival During the show's final season, Barr was in negotiations with Carsey-Werner Productions and ABC executives to continue playing Roseanne Conner in a spin-off. However, ABC withdrew from negotiations with Carsey-Werner and Barr after failed discussions with CBS and Fox. Barr and Carsey-Werner agreed to discontinue the negotiations. In the fall of 2008, Barr commented on what the current whereabouts of the Conners would be. "I've always said now that if they were on TV, DJ would have been killed in Iraq and Conners would have lost their house". When asked for more details on where the rest of the Conners (Dan, Jackie, Becky, Darlene, David, and Mark) would be, Barr responded: "Your question is intellectual property that may be developed later, so I don't want to get into that". She added, "No preview, absolutely not". On December 20, 2009, Barr posted an entry on her website regarding what a possible Roseanne reunion would be like, which includes: DJ being published, Mark dying in Iraq; David leaving Darlene for a woman half his age, Darlene coming out of the closet and meeting a woman and having a test tube baby with her, Becky working at Walmart, Roseanne and Jackie opening the first medical marijuana dispensary in Lanford, Arnie becoming the best friend of the Governor of Illinois and remarrying Nancy, Bev selling a painting for $10,000, Jerry and the grandsons forming a music group similar to the Jonas Brothers, Dan reappearing alive after faking his death, and Bonnie being arrested for selling crack. Season 10 On April 28, 2017, television trade publications reported an 8-episode revival of the series, being shopped to multiple networks including ABC and Netflix. Barr, Goodman, and Gilbert were attached to reprise their roles, while Metcalf was considered likely to return. Barr, Tom Werner, Bruce Helford would produce the series, alongside Gilbert, who would serve as an executive producer while Helford and Whitney Cummings would be handling day-to-day oversight of the show. Original writer Norm Macdonald stated he had written for eight of the episodes. In May 2017, it was announced the series was greenlit and would air on ABC mid–season in 2018. Metcalf, Fishman, Goranson, and Chalke were all announced to return. Chalke, who played the character Becky in later seasons, was cast as Andrea, a married woman who hires Becky to be her surrogate. Glenn Quinn, who played Becky's husband, Mark, died in December 2002 of a heroin overdose at the age of 32. On December 1, 2017, it was announced that Johnny Galecki would be reprising his role of David Healy for one episode. Production of nine new episodes began in the fall of 2017 and wrapped in mid-December. The revival features the original cast from the previous nine seasons. New characters include David and Darlene's two children as well as D.J.'s daughter. Sarah Chalke also appears as a new character, Andrea. The sets of the Conner house were replicated at the same studio where the show was filmed for its original run. Season 10 was scheduled as a mid-season replacement to premiere on March 27, 2018. On September 21, 2017, it was revealed that Emma Kenney would be portraying Harris Conner Healy, Darlene's eldest child who was born in Season 9. On December 7, 2017, it was confirmed that Estelle Parsons and Sandra Bernhard would return to the series. Parsons would appear in two episodes while Bernhard would appear in one. On February 25, 2018, it was revealed on the show's official Twitter account that the trailer for the revival season would premiere during the 90th Academy Awards on March 4, 2018. To promote the show, ABC sponsored the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway by naming it the Roseanne 300. In March 2018, ABC opened a pop-up restaurant during South by Southwest in Austin, Texas that recreated the "Landford Lunch Box" alongside a replica of the series' living room to promote the show. On March 26, 2018, Sara Gilbert revealed on Good Morning America that her sketch with John Goodman on The Talk (which Gilbert created and co-hosts) as their Roseanne characters, and Goodman's willingness to do a reboot, inspired Gilbert to reach out to her cast mates to revive the show. On March 28, 2018, Roseanne Barr echoed Gilbert's statements on The Wendy Williams Show and also confirmed that Gilbert's sketch on The Talk went viral on the internet citing a demand for a reboot. Roseanne s tenth season premiered on March 27, 2018, with two back-to-back episodes on ABC. The premiere begins 20 years after the previous episode, with Season 9 and the final episode being almost completely retconned out of existence as both a dream of and a story by Roseanne; namely Dan's death, when he is actually alive. A now separated and unemployed Darlene moves back into the Conner household with her two children Harris (whose existence is the only surviving element from Season 9, although the character is several years younger) and Mark (whose gender presentation is cause for conflict). Roseanne and Dan have lost weight but are now on medication. DJ has served a tour in the Army and now has a daughter named Mary (with DJ's wife still serving abroad) and Jerry is away in Alaska on a fishing boat. When the first episode begins, Roseanne and Jackie haven't spoken since the 2016 presidential election (Roseanne having voted for Donald Trump while Jackie voted for Jill Stein despite her having no idea who Stein was, describing her as "some doctor"), although the two are reconciled after intervention by Darlene. Meanwhile, desperate for money, Becky, who has been struggling to make ends meet after the death of her husband Mark, agrees to act as a surrogate mother for a woman named Andrea (Sarah Chalke) which is opposed by Roseanne and Dan since Becky's eggs will be used for the pregnancy. Critical response On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, season 10 holds an approval rating of 75% based on 68 reviews, with an average rating of 6.74/10. The website consensus reads: "Roseanne s return finds the show's classic format, original cast, and timely humor intact, even if the latest batch of episodes suffers from sporadically uneven execution." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 69 out of 100 based on 31 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Actor Tom Arnold reviewed the revival positively, specifically praising Metcalf's performance. U.S. president Donald Trump, whom Roseanne Barr has publicly supported, phoned to congratulate her on the success of the premiere. Barr described the call as being "pretty exciting", stating in an interview on Good Morning America that Trump "really knows ratings and how they measure things". She commented that the show would continue to address current U.S. issues, hoping that it would "open up civil conversation between people instead of just mudslinging." Renewal and cancellation On March 30, 2018, Roseanne was renewed for an eleventh season of 13 episodes, following the success of the revival's premiere night. On May 29, 2018, Barr posted a message on Twitter reading "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj." The tweet referred to Valerie Jarrett, an Iranian-born African-American who served as Senior Advisor to former U.S. president Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017. The "ape" tweet was widely criticized as racist. Series executive producer/showrunner Bruce Helford said he was "personally horrified and saddened" by Barr's remarks, and show co-star/executive producer Sara Gilbert called them "abhorrent" and "reflective of the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show". Barr's behavior on Twitter had been considered a concern among ABC executives during the lead-up to the revival's premiere, as she had a history of posting support for conspiracy theories such as QAnon and Pizzagate. The Jarrett posting was the culmination of several controversial tweets she had made that same morning, involving conspiracy theories about George Soros, including the factually inaccurate claim that Chelsea Clinton's husband, Marc Mezvinsky, is a nephew of Soros, and that Soros wanted to "the U.S. constitutional republic" by backing district attorney candidates that would "ignore US law & favor 'feelings' instead-and call everyone who is alarmed by that 'racist'", and claiming Soros had been a Nazi in his youth. Barr's ex-husband and original series recurring cast member Tom Arnold claimed he had notified ABC of Barr's frequent controversial tweets similar to those she had made during the morning of May 29 that led to the network reversing its decision to renew the show. In the wake of the posting, consulting producer/writer Wanda Sykes announced that she would no longer be involved with the program. Barr defended the tweet as being a "joke", and stated in a subsequent post, "ISLAM is not a RACE, lefties. Islam includes EVERY RACE of people". Barr later deleted the "ape" tweet and posted an apology, stating that she was "truly sorry for making a bad joke about Jarrett's politics and her looks." ABC announced later in the day that it had reversed the renewal decision and canceled Roseanne; network president Channing Dungey stated that Barr's remarks were "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values." ABC pulled a rerun that was scheduled to air that night, replacing it with an episode of The Middle (which had ended its series run the week prior, and which ABC had already scheduled a rerun to air immediately following Roseanne that evening), and suspended its campaign for the series to be considered for nomination at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards. Hulu announced it would remove all episodes of the original and revival series from its library; Viacom-owned cable channels Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT dropped the series from their lineups effective the following day, while digital multicast network Laff pulled reruns from its schedule effective immediately. In a tweet (which she later deleted), co-star Emma Kenney revealed she was contacting her agent asking to quit the revival when she heard about the show's cancellation, remarking that she felt "empowered by Dungey and ABC for standing up against abuse of power and lack of values. Bullies do not win. Ever." The remarks also sparked a divide among conservatives who made up a substantial segment of the revival's viewer base. Many deemed the cancellation an act of political correctness and an infringement of Barr's rights to freedom of speech, while others (including Rick Wilson, Bret Baier, Tomi Lahren and Sean Hannity) condemned the remarks with some pointing out that none of her First Amendment rights were violated. ABC had heavily emphasized the success of Roseanne during its upfront presentations for the 2018–19 television season, leading to questions over possible repercussions for the network due to the loss of potential advertising revenue, and its plans for what would have been Roseanne s time slot on the fall schedule. Shortly before the cancellation was announced by ABC, Barr – who attributed the tweet about Jarrett and others made earlier that day to side effects from the sleep aid Ambien, a claim derided by many critics as well as by the drug's manufacturer, Sanofi, in a public statement responding to Barr's reasoning – apologized for the remarks, saying, "I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me – my joke was in bad taste." Hours after the cancellation announcement, BuzzFeed later released a longer apology to Jarrett, the network and her show's cast and crew: "I deeply regret my comments from late last night on Twitter. Above all, I want to apologize to Valerie Jarrett, as well as to ABC and the cast and crew of the Roseanne show. I am sorry for making a thoughtless joke that does not reflect my values — I love all people and am very sorry. Today my words caused hundreds of hardworking people to lose their jobs. I also sincerely apologize to the audience that has embraced my work for decades. I apologize from the bottom of my heart and hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me." However, she would later retweet posts defending her, as well as another concerning the conspiracy theory of Soros being a Nazi collaborator. The Conners Some time after the cancellation was confirmed, some news sources announced that the show could possibly be re-tooled as a spin-off focusing on Sara Gilbert's character of Darlene. Around June 15, 2018 ABC was close to making a deal to indeed continue the show as a Darlene-centric show, though it is also possible that it will be titled The Conners, and would center around the whole family. The spin-off will only go forward assuming Barr signs a deal to give up rights to the show, meaning she won’t be involved creatively or financially. Barr will likely receive a one-time payment in return. If the spin-off happens, it has been stated that Barr's racism scandal will be addressed on the show. On June 21, 2018, ABC officially ordered a 10-episode spin-off tentatively titled The Conners, that it would involve every original cast member except Barr. On August 28, 2018, this extended to Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara, and Jayden Rey from the tenth season, as they were all confirmed to return for the spinoff. Other recurring characters have not been confirmed as of yet. The series is set to premiere on October 16, 2018. Ratings Roseanne was successful from its beginning, ranking #1 in the Nielsen ratings during its second season (1989-90), narrowly beating out The Cosby Show. Each of the series' first six seasons landed in the Nielsen ratings' top five. Ratings slowly started slipping after season six, though the show stayed within the top 10 through season seven, falling to the top 20 during season eight. Roseanne dropped to 35th place during the ninth and final season of its original run. The premiere of the revival (season 10) set records for Nielsen's delayed viewing metrics; it was seen by 18.45 million live and same day viewers, but gained an additional 6.59 viewers via Live+3 metrics—the largest-ever increase in total viewership from three days of delayed viewing since the 2014 premiere of fellow ABC series How to Get Away with Murder. 2.2 million additional viewers were added over the following four days (totaling 27.26 million viewers overall), resulting in a net increase of 8.81 million viewers in the week since the premiere broadcast. This established a record for the largest ratings gain from Live+7 viewership, previously set by the premiere of fellow ABC series The Good Doctor in September 2017. Syndication Roseanne was put into off-network syndication beginning in September 1992. TBS aired reruns of Roseanne from 1996 through 2004. Cable channel Nick at Nite aired reruns of the show from the fall of 2003 until 2009; it has since moved to TV Land's "TV Land Prime" schedule. Oxygen aired reruns for several years under the ownership of Carsey-Werner before its 2007 acquisition by NBCUniversal. The show returned to Nick at Nite's lineup on October 5, 2009, replacing Family Matters and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in its late-night timeslot. As of January 2010, Nick at Nite has once again taken Roseanne from its time slot. In Australia, the show is seen on the channel 111 Hits and Eleven. In the UK, it aired in reruns on Channel 4. WE tv and CMT both began airing the series in September 2012. The show also was carried by Nick at Nite/CMT sister network Logo TV, and over-the-air on Laff. Viacom pulled the series from its networks in May 2018, concurrently with ABC's cancellation, along with Laff. Awards and nominations In 1993, Roseanne Barr and Laurie Metcalf both won Emmy Awards for their performances in the series, Barr for Outstanding Lead Actress and Metcalf for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Metcalf also won in 1992 and 1994. In 1993, Roseanne Barr and John Goodman both won Golden Globe Awards, Barr for Best Actress and Goodman for Best Actor. The series won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The series won a Peabody Award in 1992 and a People's Choice Award for Favorite New Television Comedy Program in 1989. Barr won five additional People's Choice Awards for Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Program (1989), Favorite Female All Around Entertainer (1990), and Favorite Female TV Performer (1990, 1994, and 1995). In 2008, the entire cast (except for Metcalf) reunited at the TV Land Awards to receive the Innovator Award. In their acceptance speech, they honored late cast member Glenn Quinn. Peabody Award * 1992 Excellence in Television Broadcasting (won) Emmy Awards * 1989 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman) * 1990 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman) * 1991 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman) * 1992 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman) * 1992 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr) * 1992 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Laurie Metcalf, won) * 1993 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman) * 1993 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr, won) * 1993 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Sara Gilbert) * 1993 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Laurie Metcalf, won) * 1994 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman) * 1994 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr) * 1994 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Sara Gilbert) * 1994 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Laurie Metcalf, won) * 1995 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman) * 1995 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr) * 1995 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Laurie Metcalf) * 2018 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Laurie Metcalf) The show also received several nominations in Editing, Art Direction, Music, Lighting Direction, Writing and Hairstyling. Golden Globe Awards * 1989 Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy * 1989 Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (John Goodman) * 1989 Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr) * 1990 Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (John Goodman) * 1991 Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (John Goodman) * 1991 Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr) * 1992 Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr) * 1993 Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (won) * 1993 Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (John Goodman, won) * 1993 Best Actress Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr, won) * 1993 Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Laurie Metcalf) * 1994 Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy * 1994 Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr) * 1995 Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Laurie Metcalf) Screen Actors Guild Awards * 1994 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman) * 1994 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr) People's Choice Awards * 1989 Favorite New Television Comedy Program (won) * 1989 Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Program (Roseanne Barr, won) * 1990 Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer (Roseanne Barr, won) * 1990 Favorite Female TV Performer (Roseanne Barr, won) * 1994 Favorite Female TV Performer (Roseanne Barr, won) * 1995 Favorite Female TV Performer (Roseanne Barr, won) TV Land Award * 2008 Innovator Award (won) American Comedy Awards * 1989 Funniest Male Leading Performer in a Television Series (John Goodman, won) * 1989 Funniest Female Leading Performer in a Television Series (Roseanne Barr, won) * 1990 Funniest Male Leading Performer in a Television Series (John Goodman, won) * 1993 Funniest Female Leading Performer in a Television Series (Roseanne Barr, won) * 1996 Funniest Female Leading Performer in a Television Series (Roseanne Barr) Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards * 1992 Favorite Television Actress (Roseanne Barr, won) * 1995 Favorite Television Actress (Roseanne Barr) * 1996 Favorite Television Actress (Roseanne Barr) * 1997 Favorite Television Actress (Roseanne Barr) Home media releases Anchor Bay Entertainment (quietly named Starz Home Entertainment resulting in some DVD packaging bearing this name) released all nine seasons on DVD in Region 1 (2005–2007) and Region 2. The first season was issued with shorter, syndicated versions of the episodes because Anchor Bay was unable to obtain permission to release the original broadcasts. In the company's eighth and ninth season DVDs, some scenes have been altered to avoid disputes over music rights, including substituting some closing credit scenes with a black screen, including the Patty Duke parody from Season 8, Episode 1. As of 2010, the Region 1 releases have been discontinued and are out of print. On May 4, 2011, Mill Creek Entertainment announced that they had acquired the rights to re-release the series uncut on DVD in Region 1. They have subsequently re-released all nine seasons and a complete series set with the first seven seasons in their uncut form. Seasons 8 and 9 are still edited; while most of the music references were retained, some of the credit scenes are still missing. In Germany, Universum Film has released the entire series on DVD, and released a complete series box set on July 3, 2009. Unlike the Anchor Bay releases, these were mostly unedited. Footage from Some Like It Hot is excluded from an eighth season episode, for unknown reasons. In Australia and New Zealand, Magna Pacific has released all nine seasons on DVD in Region 4. Unlike the Anchor Bay releases, Magna Pacific's first season DVDs include the full-length original broadcast episodes. References External links * [http://web.archive.org/web/20010215160704fw_/http://carseywerner.net/roseanne_eng.htm Roseanne @ Carsey-Werner.net (en)] * [http://www.carseywerner.com/shows_about.php?showid=4 Carsey-Werner - Roseanne] * * Roseanne on DVD * * Roseanne Conner Clan Today at EW.com * Category:Roseanne Category:1980s American sitcoms Category:1988 American television series debuts Category:1990s American sitcoms Category:1997 American television series endings Category:2010s American sitcoms Category:2018 American television series debuts Category:2018 American television series endings Category:American Broadcasting Company network shows Category:American television series revived after cancellation Category:Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners Category:English-language television programs Category:Media portrayals of the working class Category:Nielsen ratings winners Category:Peabody Award-winning television programs Category:Television series about dysfunctional families Category:Television series about marriage Category:Television series about siblings Category:Television series about widowhood Category:Television series by Carsey-Werner Productions Category:Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Category:Television shows set in Illinois